Backup Documents 09/24/2019 Item #16F 6Planting to Protect
Our Future
Creating a healthier,
more resilient
ecosystem from the
roots
Plants can combat
environmental pressures
Agencies overwhelmed as scores of dead dolphins
wash up on Southwest Florida shores in 2018 –The
News-Press
Study says sea level rise will hurt Naples home
values –WINK News
New study predicts higher high temperatures for
Florida thanks to climate change –Tampa Bay Times
Intense hurricanes like Dorian produce 1,000 times
more damage –and they're becoming more common
–CBS News
Invasive Bacteria Threatens Florida's Palm Trees
–WGCU News
Incorporated: 1994
Grand Opening: 2009
No. Employees: 104
Operating Budget: $9.6 million
No. Visitors: 250,000/year
Awards & Recognitions: 2017 Award for
Garden Excellence (American Public
Gardens Association); 2018 Award for
Museum Excellence (Florida Association of
Museums); 2009 Intelligent Use of Water
Award (Rain Bird Corp.); 2011 Award of
Excellence, stormwater system, (American
Society of Landscape Architects, Florida
Chapter)
And… we’re consistently ranked among the
top Naples-area attractions on Trip
Advisor!
Conserve & Discover. Engage & Inspire.
We grow best when we grow together!
It’s our 10th
Anniversary
We’re deepening our commitment to
conservation, science, horticultural education,
and community involvement.
The Garden began as a major restoration project
On our property, we’ve found
ways to grow a landscape that:
•Conserves water
•Requires less fertilizer
•Minimizes erosion
•Withstands winds
•Resists disease
•Provides wildlife habitat
•Purifies water
•Tolerates rising temperatures
AND….
… Saves Money!
We’ve been combing the
subtropics for plants that thrive
in Southwest Florida’s soil type,
rainfall patterns and temperature
range. These plants require less
human intervention and incur
fewer maintenance costs.
A network of
subtropical
plant experts
and botanical
resources
Some geographic
perspective…
•Naples is closer to Havana
and Nassau than it is to
Gainesville.
•Many of our most beautiful
species are distinct to Collier
County.
Our planting decisions are driven by
experience, research, data collection,
and information sharing with
partnering gardens
Demonstration site opportunities
We hope to show:
•How to add diversity to the landscape.
•Why planting small yields big payoffs.
•How to protect landscape investments
through maintenance and growing standards.
•Why we need to look South for inspiration and plant material.
•Why growing “native” isn’t enough.
•How our landscape can create a unique sense-of-place.
Together, we
can build a
community
that is as
resilient as it
is beautiful.